The Hottest Cars at the 2019 LA Auto Show

2020 Audi e-tron Sportback

Following the launch last year in LA of its initial all-electric e-tron SUV, Audi this year introduced the coupe-like e-tron Sportback, cribbing design elements from its A7 Sportback. Twin electric motors, one at each axle, provide 402 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, while a Sport mode cranks out 489 pound-feet of torque for up to 8 seconds. Target range is just over 200 miles and the 95kWh battery can be charged up to 80 percent in under an hour at 150kW fast-charging stations. Two versions will be available in Europe in 2020, with the more powerful one coming to the US later.

2020 Dodge Challenger

While the auto industry focused on an electrified future in LA, it was fun to see some old-fashioned Motown muscle on the show floor. The 2020 Dodge Challenger celebrates the iconic car’s half-century mark, and it’s also available with a 50th-anniversary edition option package for various trim levels, which includes a matte-black hood, roof, and trunk lid, while V8 models get a body-color Shaker scoop. All get 20-inch wheels with what Dodge calls a “Gold School” finish. Dodge is building only 70 of each model in each color as a tribute to the original car’s 1970 model year.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

The talk of the show, the Ford Mustang Mach-E taps into the pony car’s legendary performance and signature style to offer an all-electric crossover in a number of battery configurations. While ‘Stang purists may poo-poo badging an EV with the iconic brand, the GT and GT Performance Editions both make 459 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque, and the Performance Edition is aiming for a 0-to-60 time in under four seconds. Ford boasts a charging network with 35,000 stations in the US and parts of Canada. You can put down a $500 deposit on the Mustang Mach-E now, but the first entry-level models won’t will arrive until late 2020.

2020 Nissan Sentra

Among all the new EVs, the Sentra—Nissan’s perennially popular budget sedan—was introduced as a 2020 model that will offer three trim levels, all utilizing a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 149 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque and a continuously variable transmission with FWD. The car rides on a platform that is 2 inches wider and 2 inches lower than the earlier version, with a floating roof that gives the Sentra a more muscular demeanor. The 2020 Sentra goes on sale in the US in late January.

Hyundai Vision T Concept

The Vision T concept hints at a design overhaul for future Hyundai SUVs and will most likely first appear on the next-generation Tucson. While the Vision T Concept is a half-inch longer with a wheel base 3.5 inches greater than the current Tucson, what stands out is the triangular and trapezoidal panels that function as active shutters for better airflow and the futuristic luminescence of the front fascia. Powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Vision T cleverly conceals the charging port in the passenger-side rear illuminated fender.

2021 Kia Seltos

Named after Celtos, the son of Hercules, the Kia Seltos crossover debuting in LA is small and mighty like its namesake and is aimed at the youth market. The Seltos will be available with a pair of 4-cylinder engines: a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter that delivers 146 horsepower and a 1.6-liter turbocharged with 175 horsepower. Both are front-wheel drive and have a continuously variable transmission, and all-wheel drive is an extra-cost option. Scheduled to go on sale during the first quarter of 2020 in five trim levels, the Seltos will start just under $22,000.

Lexus LF-30 Electrified Concept

Unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show last month, Lexus brought its bold electrified vision to LA, displaying a sleek compact crossover with an extreme exterior design that salutes Lexus’ 30th anniversary and 2030, when the automaker plans to offer primarily e-vehicles. The concept’s all-electric powertrain has a motor at each wheel that can switch between front-, rear- and AWD, a large battery under the vehicle floor, wireless charging, and autonomous driving with a self-parking feature and front-door pickup. Lexus even envisions a dinghy-like drone trailing the vehicle to carry luggage.

2020 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring

Expanding its plug-in hybrid architecture beyond the Aviator, Lincoln debuted the Corsair Grand Touring crossover. The Corsair’s 2.5-liter, Atkinson-cycle inline 4-cylinder gas engine combines with two electric motors powered by a 14.4kWh battery pack to produce 266 horsepower. The Corsair adds two drive modes—Preserve EV and Pure EV—to the Aviator’s Normal, Conserve, Excite, Slippery and Deep Conditions modes. Preserve EV stockpiles electrical energy and regenerates battery power up to 75 percent while driving. Pure EV operates the vehicle solely on electrons, which Lincoln estimates to be for about 25 miles. A permanent-magnet motor spinning a single-speed gearbox runs this vehicle’s rear wheels as dictated by conditions. The first Lincoln to incorporate the new technology, this luxury crossover will be on sale next summer.

2021 Mercedes-AMG GLS63

SUVs are all the rage, so Mercedes-Benz bowed a raging luxury SUV at the LA Auto show in the form of the 2021 Mercedes AMG GLS 63. After all, there aren’t too many luxury SUVs that seat seven and offer a 603-hp, twin-turbo V8 and can cruise the autobahn at up to 174mph. If that’s not enough, a 48-volt starter-generator can briefly impart an additional 21 horsepower into the driveline to accelerate the AMG GLS 63 from 0 to 60mph in an estimated 4.1 seconds. And those 23-inch mono-block wheels will be available in either matte black or polished aluminum when the vehicle hits the states in mid-2020.

Mini John Cooper Works GP

LA saw the coming out of the 2020 Mini John Cooper Works GM, which is powered by a peppy 302-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that boasts a 5-second 0-to-60mph time and a top speed of 165mph. The front-drive Mini John Cooper Works GM clocked a run around Germany’s notorious Nurburgring in less than 8 minutes, so it can easily take on other popular hot hatches like the VW Golf R and Honda Civic Type R. On sale in March 2020, only 3,000 models of the Mini John Cooper Works GM will be produced.

2021 Toyota RAV Prime

Toyota’s alt-fuel strategy has been heavy on gas-electric hybrids thanks in large part to the popularity of the Prius. Now its best-selling crossover gets an extra dose of electricity in the form of the 2021 RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid that can go up to 39 miles on electric-only power and achieve an estimated 90 combined MPGe. While it’s fuel efficient, the RAV4 Prime is also the most powerful and quickest RAV4 ever, with a projected 0-60mph time of 5.8 seconds, and it’s the first-ever RAV4 to get Toyota’s TRD Off-Road designation, with a sport-tuned suspension and exclusive design features. The 2021 RAV4 Prime will arrive in US showrooms next summer.

Volkswagen ID Space Vizzion Concept

The ID Space Vizzion wagon concept was unveiled in LA as part of VW’s growing family of ID-badged EVs. The concept has a 275-horsepower electric motor mounted over the rear axle and VW says it takes just 5 seconds for the wagon to go from 0 to 60mph, while the 82-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is good for about 300 miles of range.

While VW hasn’t announced plans to produce the ID Space Vizzion concept, the sleek wagon uses the same architecture that will underpin 27 e-vehicles the company plans to launch. Nor did they say whether the cool lighted LED strips that replace handles to open the doors with a brush of a finger will make it to production. We’ll have to wait until 2022, when the Vizzion comes to the US, to find out.

[“source=pcmag”]